Building block



April 27 1926 c w. COOPER BUILDING BLOCK Filed Feb. 16, 1925 Patented A azv, 1926. v

UNITED STATES CLARK W. COOPER, OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

BUILDING BLOCK.

Application filed February 16, 1925. Serial no. 9,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. CLARK W. Coornn, a citizen of'the United States. residing at Orlando, in the county of Orange and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to building blocks, and more particularly to ventilated concrete blocks.

An object of the invention is to provide a building block of this character having free circulation of air to prevent dampness in a wall constructed of the blocks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a block having horizontal and vertical air passages connected to each other at intervals in order that air may freely circulate through the wall.

In the .accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a corner of a wall in which the building block is employed,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view substantially through the center of a row. of blocks,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view substantially on line 33 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the blocks.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a block as a whole, which is substantially rectangular in cross section. The block is provided with a pair of spaced horizontal air passages 2 arranged near its front and rear faces. These passages may be of any desired cross section. In the drawings, I have shown the passages rectangular in vertical cross section and extending from a point near the top of the block to a point near the bottom. Substantially equidistant from each end of the block, I provide a vertical, oval-shaped passage 3 which is arranged between the horizontal passages transversely of the block (see Figures 2 and 3). At each end of the block, and in alinement with the passage 3, I provide a semi-oval shaped passage 4, so that when two of the blocks are assembled in building the passages in the ends of the two adjacent blocks register with each other and form an oval-shaped passage similar to the passage 3. The horizontal passages 2 and the vertical passages 3 and 4 are connected to each other at suitable intervals to provide means for free circulation of air. As shown (see Figure 3), I provide transverse passages 5 1n the blocks which extend from the passages 2 to the central vertical passages 3. Likewise, atthe ends of the blocks, I pro-' vide substantially semi-circular depressions ed to enter these grooves (see Figure 3) to provide ca more rigid construction.

The advantages of this block will be apparent from the foregoing description. The greatest objection to the: use of concrete in buildings is dampness. It has heretofore been proposed to provide passages through the walls of a concrete building for circulatlon of. air to overcome this objection. However, the constructions heretofore provided for this purpose do not permit free circulation of air. By providing the connecting or lateral passages 5 and 6 between the horizontal passages 2 and the vertical passages 3 and 4, free circulation of air is provided and the objection of dampness is overcome.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A building block having horizontal air passages arranged adjacent its front and rear walls, a vertical passage arranged be tween said horizontal passages, and a lateral passage connecting said vertical passage to said horizontal passages."

2. A building block having horizontal air passages arranged adjacent the front and rear walls thereof and substantially parallel thereto, a vertical passage arranged between said horizontal passages, and a lateral passage connecting said vertical passage to said horizontal passages.

39A building block having horizontal air passages adjacent its front and rear walls, said passages being substantially rectangular in cross section, an oval-shaped vertical passage arranged between said horizontal passages, and a lateral passage connecting said vertical passage to said horizontal passages.

4; A building block having-horizontal air passages adjacent its front and rear walls,

said passages being substantially rectangular in cross section, an oval-shaped vertical passage arranged between said horizontal passages, a lateral passage connecting said vertical passage to said horizontal passa es, the end walls of said block being provi ed with semi-oval recesses arranged in longitudinal .alinement with the oval-shaped vertical passagebetween said horizontal passages, and being further provided with semicircular lateral recesses connecting said first mentioned recess to said horizontal passages.

In testimony whereof, I a'flix my signa- CLARK W. COOPER.

. ture. 

